Current through Reg. 50, No. 187; September 24, 2024
(1) All parenting courses developed pursuant
to the requirements of Section
61.21, F.S., and Rule Chapter
65C-32, F.A.C., shall be named the "Parent Education and Family Stabilization
Course." Course providers are permitted to assign a unique name to their
curriculum.
(2) The provider of a
parenting course shall provide to each participant a printed disclaimer in
written form which states the following: "The components of the parenting
course are intended for educational purposes only. The presentation of this
material is not intended to constitute mental health therapy, give information
on specific mental health disorders nor medications to treat mental health
disorders. Participants are encouraged to discuss specific mental health
questions with a licensed mental health therapist of their choice."
(3) The legal component of the parenting
course shall provide general Florida family law principles. The presentation of
this material is not intended to constitute legal advice and the course
material must direct the participant to consult with a licensed attorney for
answers to specific legal questions.
(4) The components required for the Parent
Education and Family Stabilization Course in the state of Florida shall include
the following:
(a) Divorce as Loss. This
component shall include recognition of divorce as the loss of the current
family structure and processes experienced by adults and children in working
through loss. In addition, a distinction shall be made between loss of the
current family structure and the continuing parental role;
(b) Permanency of Parental Role/Shared
Parenting. This component shall include information about how children are
positively impacted by a continuing relationship with both parents and the
types of support children need from both parents;
(c) Developmental Stages of Childhood. This
component shall include information on the developmental stages of childhood,
as well as how a divorce may impact development, what parents can do to
minimize the impact of the divorce, and when to seek additional help for a
child experiencing problems;
(d)
Communicating with Children in a Divorce Situation. This component shall
include information about discussing divorce-related issues with children in
reference to the developmental stage of the child;
(e) Communicating with the Other Parent. This
component shall include the negative impact of a parent expressing anger toward
the other parent in front of the children, the benefits to children of keeping
them out of the middle of parental conflict, and how to establish a
relationship with the other parent which shall minimize the children's exposure
to parental conflict;
(f) Abuse.
This component shall include information on the power and control dynamics of
domestic violence and the statewide toll-free domestic violence hotline
telephone number where services may be accessed. An explanation of child abuse
and neglect and the statutory mandate to report such incidences to the Florida
Abuse Hotline must also be included, in addition to the penalties for false
reporting;
(g) Legal Concepts. This
component shall include general information about Florida family law, including
references to statutory definitions as they relate to court issues involving
divorcing parents with minor children and financial responsibilities to the
child(ren); and,
(h) Parenting
Time. This component shall include information about the benefits to children
of maintaining a stable and consistent relationship with both parents,
suggestions about how to develop a parenting plan, and effective communication
between the parents about parenting time.
Rulemaking Authority
61.21(3)(e) FS.
Law Implemented 61.21(2)
FS.
New 11-25-07, Amended
4-17-16.
